#ergo tools

It takes a very special monitor arm to bring the word “revolutionary” to mind. After all, monitor arms have been seen in almost every office for the last decade, people know the long list of benefits, and there are already monitor arms built to hold up to six flat panel monitors. So why did we think of ways to reconfigure our desks to make room for the newest monitor arm on the market? Because there’s really nothing else like it out there. Humanscale’s M/Flex monitor arm is the most versatile and dynamic monitor support system available today. Its sustainable design—not just the parts but the philosophy–ensure it’s the last monitor arm system you’ll ever need. The key difference between the M/Flex system and all other monitor arms on the market is the scalable design, allowing you to upgrade from one to six monitors without disrupting your current configuration. The modular system works by adding additional arms to the existing post simply by stacking them. Check out the video below for a demonstration of how straightforward the M/Flex system is.

Why Office Workers Need to Heed The Neutral Reach Zone Your car is in the shop and you need to borrow a friend's. It shouldn't be too complicated, but there’s a snag: your friend insists you don't alter anything. Your friend is a completely different build from you, and suddenly it's not so easy. You find yourself struggling to reach critical controls like the steering wheel and indicators. You have to stretch your neck to see in the rear view mirror. Who can drive like that? Yet this is exactly how many people approach their office work area. Instead of having things comfortably to hand they stretch and strain to reach basic equipment. All this places the body in awkward postures and causes unnecessary muscle strain. By applying some common sense ideas and having your neutral reach zone correctly configured, these problems can be avoided. What is the neutral reach zone? The neutral reach zone is simply the area of your desk which is easily reached without having to stretch to access frequently used tools. Simple enough, right? Generally speaking this is the area within an arc of about 18 to 24 inches of where you are sitting. It should have all your frequently used stuff within it. Beyond this area is where you should place less frequently used items. So why does all this matter?  

Why is the neutral reach zone important?

Think of this area as your own personal cockpit. It's the hub of where all you work is performed. So if there is a key piece of equipment that is outside this area you're going to waste time reaching for it throughout the day. More importantly, you’re going to be placing unnecessary strain on your muscles as you keep stretching for it.

Continual movement while working in the office is absolutely vital for a healthy body. What we're trying to avoid here is making unhealthy stretches and contortions to get to the key stuff we need. Over the course of a day, a week, or a decade these unhealthy movements and positions add up. How do you set up your neutral reach zone?   Setting up your own personal neutral zone is largely a case of common sense. Begin by observing how you work during the day. What tasks do you do and what tools or equipment do you use to do them? This will probably include things like:

Keyboard

Mouse

Monitor

Phone

Pen and paper

Multiple coffee cups, if you work at Ergo Depot

Whatever it is you use frequently during the day needs to be part of your neutral zone. Once you know the items you can then set about placing them conveniently on your desk. So the first thing would be to get your office chair adjusted to the right height and in a comfortable working position. Next set up your monitor so that your eyes are level with the top of the screen. Making sure you can read the screen's content easily without craning your neck, typically about an arm's length away. From there place your keyboard so you can type with your wrists straight. Position your mouse so it's close at hand and you can use it without having to move your arm too far to reach it. Once you have these things correctly positioned, place any remaining items conveniently to hand. If you get things properly set up it will ensure you are making good use of your neutral working zone. What if it were possible to make things even better?

So, you love your new sit stand desk, but it’s reminding you why you spent so much time in your chair to begin with: standing is hard on your feet. We found out the hard way, after standing on our poured concrete showroom floors for hours at a time. Once we came across anti-fatigue mats, it was a no-brainer; we were able to stand for longer periods without experiencing pain in our feet and calves. When you invest in a height adjustable desk it’s well worth adding an anti fatigue mat to your new set up. The good news is you’re likely only looking at an investment of $60. It especially makes sense if you've spent many years sitting in an office chair, because your body will need to get used to a new way of working. Think of it as an inexpensive chair for your feet. Standing to work means rarely used muscles in your feet, calves and even upper legs suddenly have to support your body’s weight. While this isn't normally a major problem, an anti fatigue mat will help to cushion the load. You might think it won’t make much difference. Most offices are carpeted, so wouldn’t that be enough support? Office carpets and carpet tiles typically don't have much give in them and are actually firmer to stand on for long periods than you might imagine. Adding extra support in the form of a plush anti-fatigue mat makes sense, even before knowing the specific benefits. What are the benefits of an anti-fatigue mat? When you stand to work, particularly when you haven't done so regularly, it’s surprising how quickly your feet and calves tire. The connection between body and floor is pretty firm meaning that your feet and leg muscles suddenly have to do a lot more to support you. A good quality anti-fatigue mat forms a cushion between you and the floor and helps take the harshness out of standing. A properly designed mat will offer comfortable resilience and remove the hard connection. And it’s not a good idea to just pick any old mat or area rug for sit stand working. What should you look for in an anti-fatigue mat? It’s easy to think that all that’s needed is a slab of foam rubber, surely that will do? There’s a bit more to it than that. The core of an anti-fatigue mat will indeed be foam rubber based, but not just any old rubber. When you use cheap foams they just flatten and bottom out meaning you gain no benefit. What’s needed is a durable closed cell sponge which is designed to be resilient and retain its springiness so you really do get a proper cushioning effect. Other types of mats should be avoided too. Many of these have been designed for use in manufacturing and are intended to form a gasket between workers and cold concrete floors. These sorts of mats are usually rigid and firm and don’t have any give in them. Let’s look at what’s needed for the office. What makes a good choice of anti-fatigue mat for the office?

As we have have already seen, the core of the mat should be made from high quality, closed cell sponge. When this level of foam is used it’s possible to get good comfort with a sponge thickness between 3/8” to 3/4” thick. Just a minute, isn't there a chance you will trip over the mat? With a well designed mat the sponge core is generally encapsulated in high quality plastic. Not only that the edges should be chamfered all round to avoid being a trip hazard. Carefully taking these points into consideration will help you select the right mat. In our experience, the anti-fatigue mat is a simple addition to your sit-stand routine. In our showroom, when we aren’t using the mat, we simply slide it under the desk and hop back in a chair for a spell. In fact, take a look at the image next to this post. I snapped a photo while writing to give you a sense of how we work. After a year and a half of daily use on our anti-fatigue mats, they still hold their shape well and are thankfully very easy to clean. Summary:

Let’s quickly summarize the main points we've covered here:

An anti-fatigue mat is a great low cost addition to a height adjustable desk

It helps cushion your feet and calves when you start standing to work

Standing on firm surfaces can be quite tiring

A good anti-fatigue mat will have a high quality closed cell sponge core

Industrial or rigid mats aren't suitable for sit stand working

Chamfered edges all round minimize any trip hazard